The Senate is on the brink of passing automatic American citizenship for the estimated 11 – 12 million illegal immigrants presently living here. I call this mockery of our legal immigration program “blanket amnesty” and I think it’s just plain wrong.

In the last Congress, I co-sponsored an enforcement-first approach to illegal immigration. That initiative would hold people accountable by cracking down on employers hiring illegal workers, increase penalties for people re-entering illegally, encourage cooperation between border sheriffs and federal law enforcement, punish smugglers trafficking in human beings as well as confront the emerging problem of alien gangs. For starters, local law enforcement officials must have the power and directive from above to end the “catch-and-release” program – and turn it into “catch-and-return!”

I’m also the co-sponsor of several measures that advocate pardoning the border agents sitting in jail for doing their jobs – Agents Ramos and Compean. They’re serving 11 and 12 years respectively for “violating the rights” of an illegal immigrant who tried to smuggle over 700 pounds of drugs into America. Those serving on the front lines stemming the tide of illegal immigration want, need and deserve our full support – not jail sentences for enforcing the laws.

There are legal ways to become an American citizen and our nation was founded on legal immigration. Our nation was founded on the rule of law and enforcing the immigration laws should be priority number one.

Today U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas) criticized a new plan to grant instant American citizenship to illegal immigrants living in America, as well as their loved ones. According to the Associated Press, “A bipartisan group of senators reached agreement with the White House Thursday on an immigration overhaul to grant quick legal status to millions of illegal immigrants already in the U.S.”

“People are called ‘illegal’ immigrants for a reason – they are here illegally! Granting instant American citizenship to countless illegal immigrants is blanket amnesty, plain and simple, and I vehemently oppose it.

“This plan rewards the lawbreakers and punishes those who have patiently waited their turn to become an American citizen. I will work tirelessly to make sure that this proposal does not pass the House of Representatives.

“What am I supposed to tell my young grandchildren when they ask me why some government leaders want to encourage people to break the law?

“America tried blanket amnesty in 1986 with the caveat that it would be a one time deal. It didn’t stem the tide of illegal immigrants then and it won’t work now. If anything – the 1986 amnesty got us into this immigration quagmire. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting different results.”

Thank you for contacting me regarding the situation in Iraq. I welcome your thoughts and comments on this issue.

I am grateful for the service and sacrifice being made by our soldiers and their families. Even though Saddam Hussein has been brought to justice and his criminal regime removed from power, Iraq is still a struggling democracy in need of economic, political, and military support.

Our Armed Forces continue to work alongside Iraqi forces to overcome sectarian violence and defeat the brutal insurgency targeting innocent Iraqis. I recognize that success requires course corrections over time. However, I believe setting an arbitrary timeline for withdrawal of our forces would embolden the enemy and jeopardize all the progress made in Iraq. It is critical that we do not allow Iraq to become the new safe haven for terrorists who seek to harm America. A stabilized Iraq will contribute greatly to regional security and, most importantly, will make America safer as well. Success in Iraq requires difficult work but will be a major victory in the War on Terrorism. Millions of Iraqi citizens have participated in their nation’s first democratically elected constitutional government. They deserved the opportunity to determine their own destiny, and America has provided it for them. Now it is up to the Iraqis to navigate through their differences in order to usher in a bright future for their country, and America must be there to assist them in this process. This is a critical time, and we must remain strong as a nation, have patience and faith as a people, and believe in the work and progress our military members have accomplished. You may be certain I will continue to monitor this situation closely and keep your views in mind.

I appreciate hearing from you and hope you will not hesitate to keep in touch on any issue of concern to you.

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If you didn’t catch it – here is Congressman Sam Johnson’s floor speech to close debate for House Republicans last Friday:Turn UP the sound

“We must give all our men and women in uniform everything they need to thwart the insurgency in Iraq and come home safely and soon. You know, we can’t tie the hands of the guys on the ground with timelines or benchmarks. And worse, we shouldn’t be using an emergency troop spending bill as a way to finance the political gimmickry of special interest projects.”(Congressman Sam Johnson (R-Texas), 3/23/07)

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War Hero, Rep. Sam Johnson, On the Ill-Advised Democrat Plan to Micromanage the War

“We must give all our men and women in uniform everything they need to thwart the insurgency in Iraq and come home safely and soon. You know, we can’t tie the hands of the guys on the ground with timelines or benchmarks. And worse, we shouldn’t be using an emergency troop spending bill as a way to finance the political gimmickry of special interest projects.”(Rep. Sam Johnson, 3/23/07)

THE ENTIRE SPEECH FROM TODAY…the current CONgress disgusts me…

Sam Johnson blasts pork-laden troops’ spending bill

Today on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives U.S. Congressman Sam Johnson (3rd Dist.-Texas) spearheaded the Republican efforts against a so-called emergency troop spending bill filled with non-related spending. Specifically, the emergency bill for the armed forces in harm’s way contains: $25 million for payments to spinach producers; $120 million to the shrimp industry; and $74 million for peanut storage, among other things. The Democrat’s bill barely passed 218 to 212 with one Member of Congress voting present.

A 29-year Air Force veteran, Johnson served in both the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Johnson spent nearly seven years as a Prisoner of War, more than half of that time in solitary confinement. Johnson experienced fighting in a war for this country when the Congress pulled the plug on funding and he vowed that when he returned home, he would never, ever let that happen again.

In January Johnson introduced legislation calling on Congress to support all troops in harm’s way and prohibiting Congress from cutting any funding for the armed forces while deployed. Johnson’s measure, H.R. 511, has 179 co-sponsors. This week, Johnson filed a discharge petition to force an up-or-down vote on his bill. The discharge petition is a parliamentary procedure that demands 218 signatures for a bill to go straight to the floor for full House consideration.

Johnson’s remarks follow:

“I rise today in support of a clean emergency spending bill for our troops…but this one is all smoke and mirrors.

“We must give our men and women in uniform everything that they need to thwart the insurgency in Iraq and come home safely and soon…We must not tie the hands of the guys on the ground with timelines or benchmarks, and worse, we must not use the emergency troop spending bill as a way to finance the political gimmickry of special-interest projects.

“It’s just exasperating that the Democrat leaders have turned the Emergency Troop Spending Bill into a pork-barrel project give-away. This bill gives piles of money to shrimpers, spinach farmers, and peanut storage. What does throwing money at Bubba Gump, Popeye the Sailorman, and Mr. Peanut have to do with winning a war? Nothing!

“The special-interest projects added to increase the likelihood of this bill passing are an insult to the troops who want, need and deserve our full support. The Democrats are trying to buy the majority vote today one pork project at a time perhaps…. because the majority does not support their slow-bleed surrender strategy.

“Since the President announced his new plan for Iraq in January, there has been measured, steady progress. He changed the rules of engagement and removed political protections.

“Coalition forces nabbed more than 50 suspects and dismantled a bomb factory in Iraq over the past few days. Coalition forces in Iraq detained seven suspects with reported ties to foreign-fighter groups.

“In Ramadi, troops nabbed four other suspects with alleged ties to al Qaeda. In Mosul, coalition forces captured a former paramilitary leader who allegedly is responsible for setting up al Qaeda terrorist training camps in Iraq and Syria.

“During another operation, troops captured a suspected terrorist with alleged ties to an al Qaeda car-bomb and assassination cell. We must seize this opportunity to move forward and not stifle future success and harm troop morale.

“More importantly, I want to know, how many of you have ever asked your constituents, ‘Do you want to lose in Iraq?’ I think if you asked that question, ‘do you want to lose in Iraq,’ Americans will whole-heartedly say no! We have smart, strong men and women serving in Iraq and they need our help. They need the full support of their country and their Congress.

“Our troops don’t need 435 generals in Washington declaring, ‘we’ll send you money for bullets, but we won’t send you bullet-proof vests.’ Our troops don’t need folks in suits sitting in wood-paneled rooms on Capitol Hill saying, ‘we’ll send you armored tanks, but we won’t send you gas.’ Literally, this bill forces our guys on the ground to fight a war with one arm tied behind their backs. That’s just smacks of defeat.

“Most of you in the chamber know that I spent nearly seven years as a Prisoner of War in Vietnam, more than half of that time in solitary confinement. Well, that was during my second tour in Vietnam.

“During my first tour I worked for General Westmoreland at MAC-V Headquarters, Military Assistance Command Vietnam. While working late at night we had a bunch of men involved in the first real hand-to-hand combat using bayonets. It was gory. This was war. Turns out that someone sent back footage to Washington that would match the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan.

“In the middle of the night the red phone rang and I answered it. I heard an earful that is not fit for the house chamber. Something like, ‘This is the White House. What in the hell is going on over there?’

“I replied, ‘I’ll wake up General Westmoreland.’ They slammed the phone down and hung up.

“Starting in 1965, we had folks in Washington trying to tell the Generals how to run things on the ground in Vietnam. A generation ago we saw what happens when you stop the funding…and Americastiffs its friends. As a matter of fact, just this morning Iran captured British sailors. This bill prevents us from responding from Kuwait for our close allies, the British, in an emergency.

“If you don’t believe me, just think back to the dark day in history when we saw visions of American Marines airlifting Vietnamese out of the U.S. Embassy. Do you remember that? That’s what happens when America makes a commitment, Congress cuts the funding, and we go home with our tails between our legs.

“The brave Marines who died on that day in 1975 while innocent people desperately clung to life on a rope tied to a helicopter are a testimony to what happens when Congress cuts the funding and we leave without finishing the job. We can not let that happen again and I don’t think Members in this Chamber want that to happen.

“Frankly, we all want our troops to come home… when the job is done. We want to win!

“Internationally announcing our timelines for withdrawal literally hands the enemy our war plan….and gives them hope that they’ll win if they just wait it out.

“What world-super power would do such a thing? We are the United States of America.

We are the premiere military force on the globe. We are the land of the free and the home of the brave. Surely we do not go around announcing to the world how we will conduct and win a war.

“Surrendering is not an option. Abandoning our troops is not an option. Look around you – we are America!

“Do you want to lose in Iraq? Voting to set a hard exit date for U.S. troops in Iraq and imposing strict standards for deploying forces gives hope to the enemy and is a prescription for failure.

“Worse – forcing Members of Congress to decide on this issue when the bill is cluttered with excess money for spinach and peanuts is abhorrent, infuriating and ill-advised.

“My dear colleagues – if you really want to debate the merits of a timed withdrawal – give each Member of Congress an up-or-down vote so we can vote our conscience. The sweeteners in this bill are political bribery and our troops deserve so much better than this.

“We can not abandon our men and women in uniform simply for politically charged benchmarks wrapped up in fat-cat constituent projects.

“If we learned anything from those brave Marines who died trying to save innocent people that day at the embassy in Vietnam…it’s that theMarines never quit – neither should we!”

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About

Former HUMINT. ‘Nuf said. Are you serving in the WOT??? Send us the stories and we will post them on the blog, should you so desire. I have received several emails out of the blue inquiring as to my HUMINT experience. I cannot and will not go into the details of such former activities, for the obvious reasons. In a nutshell, I have been fighting terrorists and the ideals of said bodies of murderers since 1974. I “retired” (once in never out) in 2004. 28 of those years were in the service of my country, The United States of America. Now that I am a “civilian”, I continue the battles here in the blogosphere and letters, dispatches, emails and faxes. I have determined that the battle(s) begin here, Stateside. We, the members of the Silent Majority, can be silent no more. The Leftinistra have secured and entrenched themselves within the alleged Main Stream Media now renamed as The Lame Stream Media or as I like to call them, The LSD Press. As a friend of mine from Indiana states, “The Silent Majority must stand up and ‘Do The Right Thing’ and overcome the ‘Vocal Minority’.” It can be done. We just need to get up off our complacent rear ends and fight for that which we know in our hearts is right. If we do not, we automatically fall for and support that which we know in our hearts to be wrong. If the Silent Majority continues to be afraid, they deserve everything that comes their way. PERIOD!